Victoria’s Secret Model Maria Borges Returns To The Runway With Her Curl Friends

“The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me? -Maria BorgesLast year, Victoria Secret model Maria Borges made waves when she walked the runway donning her natural hair in a fro. This year the Angel returned to the stage in Paris, wearing her hair naturally for the second year in a row, and she’s brought a few friends to the party.

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Victoria’s models, Jourdana Phillips and Herieth Paul joined Borges in discarding their weaves, extensions, and pressed hair to redefine what it means to be beautiful. Phillips, who walked the VS runway for the first time, cut her hair a month ago in preparation for the show.

“I never thought in a million years I would cut my hair. I’m so glad I did! It’s helped me overcome the idea that my beauty is synonymous with the length of my hair. I’m sure for many women it’s difficult not to feel this way when everyone and everything tells you it is. Knowing this has given me a sense of empowerment, that regardless my beauty comes from a place that couldn’t be altered aesthetically. I no longer feel forced to adhere to society’s beauty standards and feel free to do as I please. You are sexy, strong and beautiful with long hair/short hair/pink hair/blue hair whatever!!!” Phillips said in a post to Instagram last month.

While many have herald Borges as the first to walk the Victoria Secret runway with her natural hair E! Online reported it was supermodel Ajuma Nasenyana who rocked a fully shaved head in the 2006 VS Fashion Show.

Regardless of who holds the title its Borges who has left her mark on the modeling world and changed the game for the future generation of models. Earlier this week, model Nyadak “Duckie” Thot recounted her difficulties as a natural hair model from several years ago.

” I remember on top model on one of the episodes I had to cornrow my own hair. I was extremely upset and embarrassed that they “didn’t know how” to cornrow my natural hair when at the end of the day that’s their job. I sat in front of the mirror silently crying before my shoot doing my own hair, cameras rolling while all the other girls had hairstylists, shit scared I was going to get eliminated because a few “hairstylists” didn’t know how to do their job.”